Security tightened at IIT-BHU after molestation of student; SHO removed

Varanasi (UP), November 3

Security has been stepped up at Indian Institute of Technology-Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) and a police officer has been shifted to the police lines for dereliction of duty, a day after a student was allegedly molested and stripped near her hostel, triggering a protest by hundreds of students.

Security guards deployed at IIT-BHU gates were seen to be carrying out strict checks on anyone entering the campus on Friday.

No arrests have been reported in the case till afternoon.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bhelupur, Praveen Kumar Singh confirmed that Station House Officer of Lanka police station Ashwini Pandey has been sent to the lines for dereliction of duty.

“A meeting was held with the BHU officials and it was decided to deploy constables at certain places across the campus to stop entry of the outsiders and prevent recurrence of any untoward incident. Besides at the four main gates of the university, constables will also be deployed at some other spots across the campus,” Singh said.

As of now, the security arrangements of the campus were being taken care of by the guards deployed by the university administration, the ACP said. However, additional police forces have been deployed at several places inside the university.

Police have formed several teams to identify and arrest those accused of molesting the university student. Police teams are scouring CCTV footage of cameras inside the campus and nearby areas, and are also using mobile surveillance to track the attackers.

Meanwhile, the students who had gathered near IIT-BHU’s Rajputana Hostel and protested against the incident, called off their protest late Thursday night.

Hundreds of BHU students held a protest, claiming that outside elements were involved in the incident and demanded that outsiders be banned from entering the campus.

A student, who participated in the protest on conditions of anonymity said, “We called off the protest after a meeting with the director of the institute and senior police officials who assured us of our security and swift action against those involved in the incident.” University officials said that classes resumed as normal in the campus and students were attending them.

The alleged molestation had occurred on Wednesday night. According to a complaint lodged by the woman, she went out of her hostel with a friend when three men on a motorcycle forcibly took her to a corner and gagged her after separating her from her friend near Karman Baba Temple.

The accused then stripped the woman, made a video of her and clicked photos. They took her phone number and let her go after 15 minutes, the complaint said.

On the basis of the woman’s complaint, an FIR has been registered under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code and under provisions of the IT Act at Lanka police station, police said.

After the incident, IIT-BHU Registrar Rajan Srivastava issued directions that all barricades around the campus premises should be put in place from 10 pm to 5 am to ensure a safe environment for all students and employees of the institute.

The security guard on night duty would only allow vehicles with BHU stickers and people with BHU identity cards to enter the premises, he said.